Freeport, Bahamas -
For the first ever
Bahamas Law Enforcement
Sports Challenge, an ‘Olympic Games’-style
"international sports
event
" for Law Enforcement (including Police, Fire & Border Control
officers), homage will be paid to local sports legends.
In a similar vein to the World Police
& Fire Games, recently held in New York City, the Bahamas Law Enforcement
Games will encompass a wide variety of sporting events that will test
the physical & mental athletic skills of the competitors. Sporting
events will include – among others – basketball, soccer, football,
boxing, softball, and open-water swimming. Awards for various competitions
will be named in honor of local legends in the respective field. Proposed
honorees include Gladstone ‘Moon’ McPhee’ for his contributions
to basketball, and Jimmy Lee for his contributions to softball.
This 5-day event, headed by Ms. Shawn
Thomas, has garnered the support of The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism
& Aviation, and Ministry of National Security as well as the United
States Embassy, the Florida Police & Fire Games, and Bahamas Celebration
(including discounted rates for travel during that time). The Bahamas
Weekly has also joined on as a media partner with the event assist in
getting the word out. Talks are also underway with The
Bahamas’ Ministers of Education, and Youth, Sports & Culture.
The event opens January 18, 2012 and will be hosted by Grand Lucayan
Resort.
The following is a message by the event organizer,
Shawn B. Thomas:
The Bahamas Law Enforcement Sports Challenge has Three Objectives:
1. To Remember - the men and women who gave their lives while serving in law enfor
cement
2. To Express Appreciation for the men and women who have answered the call to service
3. To Invest in young men and women who will serve in the future.
Since it's inception, the spirit of love, service and unity was evident
in this venture. As we gathered input from the various agencies, the
mutual respect and fierce rivalry was evident. Together, it was decided
to hold the first Olympic style Games in The Bahamas in
Grand Bahama Island
WHY? "because
our "brothers and sisters there can use the help". This help being the
show of support with their presence and economically.
We initially planned promote twelve games and to
invite their law enforcement fraternity from more than twenty six
countries. The Ministry of Tourism played and continues to play an
integral role with the development of these Games. A team visited the
World Police and Fire Games and witnessed 17,000 athletes competing in
49 sports.
We reached out to the founders and planners of the
Florida Police and Fire Games and expressed our intention of staging our
own version of the Games here in the Bahamas and in Grand Bahama Island
in particular. They advised us to first of all assess which sports Can
be accommodated on the island. They also cautioned us that they have
been doing this for over thirty years and there is a tremendous amount
of planning involved. Convinced with our enthusiasm, competent
coordinators, the marvels of technology, and the wisdom to consult with
experience; Mike Casey and Jolene Coats came onboard as Advisors.
The enthusiasm with which we were welcomed in
Grand Bahama Island was contagious! What started out as twelve sports
swelled to almost forty and settled down eventually to more than twenty
sports being co-ordinated by international standard organizers like
Terry Wildgoose for Soccer, Basketball and Slow-Pitch Softball, Burt
Bell with Triathlon, Swimming, Cycling, Paul Sands with Billiards/Pool,
Christopher Lewis with Golf,,,Celebration Cruiseline came onboard with
amazingly discounted travel from West Palm Beach. Our Title Sponsor,
Grand Lucaya is offering great rates along with the other member hotels
of the Grand Bahama Tourism Promotion Board. Bahamasar has special
rates secured for those traveling for the Games. Sky Bahamas has been
generous as well. Sawyers Fresh Market has offered to provide Water and
Ice throughout the Games and co-sponsor the Community Fun Run/Walk. Port
Lucaya Marketplace will treat the athletes to a Bahamian Cultural
Extravaganza; Robbin Whachell and The Bahamas Weekly has reached out to us
with 24/7 advice and Media Sponsorship, and Bahamas Local has agreed to partner
with us. Paul Sands is offering the use of four of his pool tables,
lighting, officials...the list goes on and on..The Florida Police and
Fire Games is sponsoring Arm-wrestling, Terry Goldsmith is providing the
boxing ring.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture are providing
the equipment for Track and Field and their full support with reaching
out the the various sporting associations on our behalf. All of this
with the untiring efforts of Tyrone Sawyer, and his angel team in Nassau
and Karen Seymour, Terrance Roberts and Rosalyn's,both formidable teams
from the Ministry of Tourism.
With appreciating the service of others resonating
throughout the planning of these events, the law enforcement officers
expressed their desire to honor the persons in the community who have
served in the various sports. This was immediately embraced and names
were put forth.
We have the
following Honourees:
Oriel Knowles - Volleyball
Gladstone "Moon" McPhee - Basketball
Burt Bell - Triathlon
Terry Goldsmith - Boxing
Calvin "Coops" Cooper - Golf
Bernard "Spinks" Rolle - Power-lifting
Allan Murray - Swimming - Indoor
Robbie Butler - Swimming - Open Water
Paul Sands - Billiards/Pool
Jimmy Lee - Softball
Keith Major - Cycling
Donnie Knowles - Soccer
Expressing admiration and appreciation, even
in the midst of these challenging times(both socially and financially)
is to invest in a healthier and brighter future for all of us.
With regards to our international invitations,
Brazil and their Soccer Team have been communicating with us has signed
on for next year. The UK's boxing team and the Cayman Islands have also
responded that they will be on board the next time around. With the time
drawing near, barring any impulsive decisions from individual athletes,
our Games will predominantly be our law enforcement officers, the
Police, Fire, Defense Force, Customs and Immigration competing and
strengthening the bonds that already exist between them as they serve
their respective communities.
This is a Good Thing. All of the cliches,
including "Charity begins at home" hold an element of truth that we
resonate with. Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is the Way and
certainly the solution to the challenges that we are confronted with in
our homes, communities, countries and globally.
I would simply like to express my gratitude for the
opportunity to serve this process in whatever way I can and I invite
each of you to participate to the extent that you can,
Sincerely,
Shawn
Online registration is still open, and can
be accessed by:
For more information, please contact
Shawn Thomas (
shawnbthomas@gmail.com
) or Rosalyn Pinder (
rpinder@bahamas.com
) via e-mail or at 350-8600.